Ghost by Erik Hanson and Jeanne Hanson

Since you're holding the book, you get to start. But that means you need to read the directions, too!

This game is a little hard to explain but easy to play. Think of any word that's not a name — but don't tell anyone what it is. Then say the first letter out loud. The next family member adds a letter — and must be thinking of a real word that has that first and that second letter. The third person adds a letter, and makes sure the three letters do not spell a real word all on their own. They still have to be part of a longer real word. As the letters add up, it gets harder and harder to avoid spelling out a word when you add a letter!

The first person who is forced to spell out a word (or who does so accidentally) gets the letter “G.” If a person is stuck and cannot think of a letter to add without spelling a word, that person may be tempted to “fake it” and say any letter that doesn't make a word. You can challenge that trickster — if he or she isn't thinking of a real word, then he or she gets a “G” also.

Once a word ends, the next person in line begins with a new word, and the game goes on. The first person to lose five times and spell out “GHOST” loses.

WORDS to KNOW

trachea: Your windpipe, the tube where the air goes back and forth to your lungs.

esophagus: The tube that leads between your mouth and your stomach.

CUL8R

Some drivers like to choose a combination of letters and numbers for their license plate that sends a message. These are called “vanity plates.” Perhaps their message will tell you about something they like or what they do for work. Can you correctly match the following people with their license plates? HINT: Having trouble? Try reading the plates out loud. Single letters can be used to represent a whole word. Sometimes numbers are used as part of a word. For example “CUL8R” is “See You Later.”